11 November 2011
In Flanders Field
An American Housewife
11/11/2011
In the US we know, vaguely, of November 11th as Veteran’s Day, which follows the Marine Corps birthday by a day. Sadly, it isn’t much noticed. Memorial Day in May is bigger in the national consciousness.
In the UK Remembrance Sunday is held the closest Sunday to November 11th, Armistice Day. The UK does it right. Starting November 1st, poppy sellers appear everywhere, like Salvation Army Santas. For a pound or more donation to the pensioners’ funds (Here’s the link to the USO), you get a red poppy to wear for the next few weeks. Bright red poppies are everywhere in early November as a bright and silent reminder of those who have given all. The poppy symbol comes from the poem In Flanders Fields:
The article continues here.
In NYC Veterans Day Parade Draws Over 20,000 Participants and More Watchers
Big, Beautiful Pictures of New York’s Moving Veterans Day March
Daniel Goodman
Business Insider
11/11/2011
Today, November 11, over 20,000 participants came together to honor America’s military service men and women. The parade, an annual tradition, began at 10 AM with a memorial ceremony and then commenced from Madison Square Park at 23rd St up Fifth Avenue until 43rd St.
The parade is an opportunity for people to honor U.S. Veterans. It is also used by Veteran and Military groups and advocacy organizations to communicate some of their top priorities and key messages to a large audience. Many speakers and signs focused on the need to provide jobs and support to veterans and to remember to honor them not just on Veterans Day.
It was an emotional day and the parade was stunning.
In case you missed it, we got lots of pics.
Here is a sampling of the many photos. Click on the images to view at full size:
Members of the Navajo Code Talkers, a unit in WWII
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Cuba Gooding, Jr. with members of the Tuskegee Airmen
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These students bore signs with pictures of fallen servicemen
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Units representing the U.S. Navy
And there were veterans marching for Occupy Wall Street. According to the bloggers at This Ain’t Hell, this man is Scott Olsen of Occupy Oakland.
Also from This Ain’t Hell, Corporate America supports Veterans:
In my previous post, I mentioned how Denny’s and Applebees are offering free meals for veterans today. Nucsnipe says that Subway and Chili’s are doing the same. Earlier this week, I got an email from Dominion, the Virginia power company which wants us to know that they’re donating a quarter million bucks to veterans’ causes. I made sure that none of those causes were IAVA. The company rep said they’re donating to;
Virginia Supportive Housing, Richmond, Va. – has developed eight permanent supportive housing units exclusively for homeless veterans with disabilities. VSH manages these units and provides support services to the residents.
· National Military Family Association, Alexandria, Va. – recognizes the unique challenges today’s military spouses face in pursuing additional training or education. The funds will support educational scholarships for tuition, vocational training, professional certification and graduate school.
· Wounded Wear, Chesapeake, Va. – provides modified clothing for wounded warriors that can be worn around prosthetics or medical devices necessary for healing.
· Virginia Veterans Services Foundation, Petersburg, Charlottesville and Staunton, Va. – supports the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program, which helps veterans, National Guard and Reserves and their families connect to health and behavioral health services and build resilience to cope with the challenges posed from a stress-related injury or traumatic brain injury.
· Homes for the Brave, Bridgeport, Conn. – establishing “Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes,” the first community-based transitional home dedicated to homeless female veterans and their children.
· Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, Boston, Mass. – provides support, advocacy programs and referral services to bereaved families of Massachusetts military personnel fallen in service.
· Valor Home, Akron, Ohio – a new 30-bed transitional housing facility for veterans that will be operated by Family and Community Services, Inc.
· Community Service Alliance, Cleveland, Ohio – Sacrament House is a new housing program site that will provide 12-14 additional rooms to meet the growing need for short-term housing, and will enable CSA to meet the needs of veterans emerging from homelessness.
· Mechling-Shakley Veterans Center, Armstrong County, Pa. – provides a community-based residential treatment facility for homeless veterans needing rehabilitation and support.
· Scott Place Shelter, Fairmont, W.Va. – establishing a shelter exclusively for homeless veterans
This morning, I got an email from JPMorgan Chase who also wants you to know that they are committed to veterans as well;
One of the most important things we can do is help transition servicemembers and other veterans to lead successful lives after their military service. After JPMorgan Chase launched the 100,000 Jobs Mission with other major employers in March, we are proud to report we are well on our way to hiring 100,000 transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020. Our dedicated Military Recruiting Team has hired veterans at a rate of about 10 veterans a day, and as of September 30, the coalition firms have hired nearly 2,700 veterans.
JPMorgan Chase also explains their commitment to veterans and service members at their special Military website.
Now, I don’t endorse any of these companies, nor do I get paid directly for repeating their advertising messages, but I do want to publicly thank them for their obvious commitment to veterans and I want to encourage other corporations to make the same sort of commitments and if, in some small way this post contributes to that commitment, I’ve done my job.
So spread the word and do your part.
In an email this week from Constitutional Emergency
Texas Roadhouse Free Lunch for Veterans & Gift Card Sales
Texas Roadhouse locations across the country
From November 1st – November 30th, Texas Roadhouse will donate 10% of the purchase amount of the military design gift cards to Homes for Our Troops. Military design gift cards are available online only – visit www.texasroadhouse.com and click on “Gift Cards” to purchase.
